At the inaugural Paws for the Cause fund-raiser—a beneﬁt for
the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals—the
event team, led by founder Laura Serra, called on 10 Canadian
fashion designers to dress 10 local personalities and 10 dogs.
About 250 people attended the runway show and cocktail party
at Red Bull 381 Projects on October 28. A nine-image photo series,
presented by sponsor Olympus, featured stylish Torontonians with
their pets; it was used for event marketing and decor. DJs Greg Ipp
and Ian Worang spun tunes from a Red Bull-branded Grill Chef
barbecue-turned-DJ booth. Designers Cailliane and Samantha
Beckerman, dressed in their own label, walked the runway with
their dog Cubby. More photos and details are on BizBash.com.

On the Cover Clockwise from top left: A touch screen game at Samsung’s
Vancouver Olympics pavilion, photo by Grant Harder for BizBash; a ﬂying
machine at Red Bull’s 2010 Flugtag tour kickoff in Miami, photo courtesy of
Red Bull; cellophane chandeliers at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s summer
dance, photo by Tay Kaune; digital graﬁtti at the re-opening of Chanel’s
SoHo New York store, photo courtesy of Tangible Interaction; a white neon
installation at the opening party for the Hermès men’s store in New York,
photo by Clint Spaulding/Patrick McMullan; an artistic interpretation of
Lexus’s new hybrid car at the company’s Dark Side of Green environmental
debate in Miami, photo by Red Eye Productions

FROM THE EDITORS
4 Tracking the year’s trends
READERS’ FORUM
11 What was the best idea you saw
in 2010?
THE SCOUT
15 Wintry curtains made of ice
16 Passed bites for holiday
gatherings
17 Festive glasses and small plates
for rent
18 A Canadian aerial-dance cirque
company
20 Innovative ideas for stage design
21 What are clever ways to integrate
trade show sponsors?
22 11 ideas and products to have on
your radar

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I hate the word trendy. It’s one
of those terms that can say
more about the person using
it than the thing it’s supposed
to describe. For some people,
what’s trendy is what’s already
too popular; for others, it’s the
new thing they don’t quite
understand yet. For many,
trendy suggests something is
inauthentic—people always
seem to pronounce the word
with a note of condescension.
It’s like when someone says,
“You’re so hip!” They
think they sound selfdeprecating (“I can’t keep
up with fashion/music/
whatever!”), but often it’s
a backhanded compliment (“I don’t have time
for such silly things, but
You could call the Ace Hotel trendy,
it’s cute that you do!”).
but I call its restaurant, the Breslin,
The fact is, what you
my favourite current lunch spot.
consider trendy often
events in this particular moment?
depends on where you
How did the top minds adapt to the
are on the coolhunting/
new products, cultural inﬂuences, and
early-adopter scale. (My
economic constraints of the day?
apologies if you ﬁnd
We hope the 15 pages of photos,
those terms equally obcase studies, and comments from
noxious.) As connotationThrillist’s party during the New
industry folks—and the stories in the
ridden as trendy is, often
York City Wine & Food Festival
its meaning is too hard to
had a beer-and-bourbon theme. rest of the issue—tell that story, from
food trucks to social media to event
pin down. So the word is
I’m a fan of both, but we’ve all
makeovers, and give you some ideas
banned from these pages. seen enough bacon on event
for 2011 as well.
(See also: party planner,
menus for a while, no?
There’s also value in questioning
fashionista.)
some trends, as Ted Kruckel does in his column
But you’re likely to ﬁnd its root, trend, here a
on the unproven marketing value of promotional
lot. We—the editors and you readers, too, not to
Twitter messages.
mention your guests—are obsessed with trends.
One trend we should all be happy to see is a
We want to know what’s current, what’s new,
growing sense of optimism for the event busiwhat we need to move on from before everyone
ness. In a survey of readers we conducted online
else is doing it, what we need to move on to.
in September, 77 percent chose bullish responses
The nature of the event business requires you to
when asked to describe the economic state of
stay on top of what’s happening in food, design,
the industry. Meanwhile, spending appears to be
entertainment, technology, art, theatre, and pop
rising: 41 percent of readers said their September
culture, so you can create experiences that feel
2010 budgets were up from September 2009 levcurrent and ahead of the curve.
els, 28 percent said their budgets were ﬂat, and
Identifying trends was our prime directive in
putting together our Best of 2010 package. In ad- 31 percent reported reduced spending.
For another take on ’10, we asked our budition to showcasing some of the cleverest ideas
reau chiefs to describe 10 highlights in their
we saw, we wanted to
the story of this year markets—the groundbreaking local venues, new
ON BIZBASH.COM tell
events, and innovative ideas that kept them
for the industry. What
10 highlights of 2010
were the obsessions, co- excited about covering this industry at this time.
from each of our local
incidences, and innova- You’ll ﬁnd their commentary on BizBash.com in
markets
tions that characterized December. —Chad Kaydo

PHOTOS: MELISSA HORN (ACE HOTEL), MICHAEL TOOLAN (THRILLIST PARTY)

How do you sum up a year?

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Readers’ Forum

What was the
best idea you
saw in 2010?
“Throughout the Remarkable Indonesia gala’s seated dinner,
the event touched on different aspects of Indonesian culture.
The ﬁnale of the evening was when every guest was brought
an angklung—an instrument made of bamboo tubes—that
played a single note. A music director on stage directed us in a
performance. As we were playing, we realized it was an Abba
song! The angklung was also a gift to take home.”
Barbara Blauhut, director of special events, WETA Public Television &
Radio, Washington

“Showtime’s Nurse Jackie RX Games event concept. From the
event title to the tournament activities to the idea of engaging
and rewarding real nurses for the second-season launch, it was
brilliant and certainly targeted to a deserving audience.”

Jenny Powers, vice president of special events, National Multiple
Sclerosis Society, Southern New York Chapter

“I loved the Leukemia Ball’s
use of handheld wireless
devices. They were given to
bidders,
enabling
them to
track their
bids as the
evening
progressed.”
Ron Bracco, creative director,
events, Hargrove Inc.,
Washington

“Dessert inside a
balloon. Guests are
given a
pin to pop
and eat.”
Bryan Rafanelli, owner, Rafanelli
Events, Boston

“PDA marketing. More than
ever, the event industry has
taken to the PDA airwaves to
promote and update events,
meetings, and trade shows.
Within seconds, text message
updates can get to attendees.
You also gain a database to
market next year’s event.”
Dargan Watts, director,
Birchmore Group Inc., Orlando

“Virtual events. I love
the Virtualis Convention
Center in Second Life. It
is a virtual environment
for trade shows, meetings,
and even virtual banquets,
dances, concerts, etc.”
Patti Shock, professor and director
of distance learning, Harrah
College of Hotel Administration,
University of Nevada

“Crashers making their way
into the White House, because
it brought security and eventprofessional responsibilities
into the spotlight.”
Alison Bossert, senior vice president, special events, Columbia Tristar
Marketing Group, Los Angeles

“One of my favourites ideas is the cheesecake ‘ice cream’
cone, where there is a soft centre of whipped ﬂavoured
cheesecake inside a miniature sugar cone. It eliminates the
intense labor of scooping out ice cream during an event, and
you don’t have to worry about melting. Guests also love the
surprise of biting into cheesecake instead of ice cream.”
Pasquale Ingenito, executive chef, Windows Catering Company, Washington

“I’ve seen many events make use of the service staff to tie elements
into the branding or theme. At Ubisoft’s launch event, [staffers wore]
Revenge of the Nerds costumes with taped rimmed glasses, ‘Hello My
Name Is NERD’ nametags, and bow ties. The servers have a lot of
interaction with the guests and almost act as live, moving decor.”
Alison Slight, managing director, Candice & Alison Luxury Event
Management, Toronto

Compiled by Claire Hoffman

bizbash.com winter 2010–11 11

SURVEY SAYS
We asked readers for their take on this
moment in the event business. Here
are some highlights.

How would you describe the current
economic state of the event industry?
It’s going to
get worse
before it gets
better.

We’re fully
recovered and
back to normal.

3% 4%

20%
32%

We’re still in
the thick of
the downturn.

We’re through
the worst of it,
and we have
settled into a
new normal.

41%
We’re just
starting to
recover.

Are you haggling over prices more or
less now (September 2010) than you
were a year ago (September 2009)?
Haggling less

Haggling more
10%
35%

55%
Haggling about
the same as a
year ago

How would you describe your feelings
about your long-term job prospects in
the event industry?
I’m terriﬁed.
I’m a little
worried.

There’s A
Better Way
bizbash.com/jobboard

The Best Job Board in the Business
FIND JOBS / POST JOBS / GET BACK TO WORK

I’m very
optimistic.

2%
17%

27%

54%
I’m cautiously
optimistic.

Methodology: The survey was conducted online
from September 13 to 23 via a link shared with
BizBash email newsletter subscribers and Twitter
followers. The data here represents responses
from 1,023 people who identiﬁed themselves as
event planners (who work in-house, on their own,
or at ﬁrms) or owners or employees of venues or
industry vendors.

COOL CURTAINS
To add a wintry look to end-of-the-year gatherings, Ice Bulb
(877.423.2852, icebulb.com) offers decorative curtains made of frozen
water. A machine cuts ice into gemlike cubes, which the company
hand-strings onto cables suspended from trussing.
Curtains can be made in any length and height. If
used indoors, the pieces last about ﬁve hours; a container below collects drips. Ice Bulb is based in Southern California,
but works nationwide and in Canada. While pricing depends on the
size of each piece, strands typically cost $140 to $180 U.S. each, plus
more for assembly and delivery. —Lisa Cericola

holiday
party
ideas

15 bizbash.com winter 2010–2011

bizbash.com winter 2010–11 15

New on the Menu

holiday
party
ideas

Seasons’
Eating
By LISA CERICOLA

Basil-breaded smoked
turkey “ﬁngers” with
honey orange marmalade
and pomegranate seeds
from Great Performances
(212.727.2424, greatperfor
mances.com) in New York

Small Plates
Voss clear
plate, pricing upon
request,
available in
New York
from Party
Rental Ltd.

Mini leaf plate, 55 cents U.S., available
throughout South Florida from Atlas Party
Rental (561.547.6565, atlaspartyrental.com)

White oval tasting spoon, $1
U.S., available in New York from
Something Different Party Rental

bizbash.com winter 2010–11 17

Fresh Faces

SISTER ACT
The DeAngelis siblings direct and
perform original aerial cirque routines
designed for corporate functions and
gala events.
the passion we have
as performers,”
Elisa says.
Having grown
up in the entertainment industry—
their parents
run DeAngelis
Entertainment
Inc.—the sisters can
see an event from a
producer’s prospective. “If it weren’t
for our parents’
company, I don’t
think we would have
the aptitude we have,” says Julie.
“Our clients are dealing with the
same person throughout the entire
planning process and on the day of
the event. If we are using another
performer, one of us is always on site.”
The program and choreography
chosen for an event often depend
on the venue. “What we do has to
be conducive to the space. If there
is no rigging or the ceilings are too
low, we don’t do aerial. We have to
go through the logistics ﬁrst, and
then the fun stuff comes into play,”
says Elisa.

The sisters perform
and design routines.

For safety reasons, A2D2 only
uses its own equipment or specially
commissioned pieces. “A unique
feature of our company is our ability
to provide cirque entertainment in
spaces which do not have the capability to accommodate proper aerial
rigging. Our one-of-a-kind apparatus, Cirque-u-l’air, and our newest
apparatus, Circus-sphere, are just
two examples of our innovation,”
Julie says.
The women have also made it a
personal mission to give back to the
community by hosting annual fund-

A New Source for
On-Site Makeovers
Inspire Cosmetics (inspirecosmetics.ca), a new makeup line developed by Ford
model and makeup artist Wendy Crystal and business partner Tanya Andrade, can
design workshops for corporate groups where attendees learn skin-care tips and
tricks for applying makeup. Crystal
can also provide makeup touch-ups
at client and staff
ACTI V ITY
appreciation events.
Attendees receive makeovers and a
complimentary lip gloss. Rates start
at $50 Cdn. per hour for a group of
ﬁve; a minimum three-hour booking
is required. For larger groups, fees
are based on a rate of $20 Cdn. per
person. —S.O.

18 bizbash.com winter 2010–11

Samantha, Elisa,
and Julie DeAngelis
raisers designed to raise awareness
about spinal health. In 2009, A2D2
produced an event called “Cirquetacular and the Seven Deadly Sins”
in support of the Canadian Spinal
Research Organization. This past
summer they produced another
event called Cirque Tea Party, with
all proceeds going to the Canadian
Paraplegic Association.
In September, Maverick Public
Relations hired A2D2 to execute an
impromptu performance including
ground acrobatics and a ﬂash mob
at a client’s annual general meeting.
They provided the entertainment as
guests entered and exited meetings. “They were very detailed with
the proposal we asked them to put
together, and they gave us several
options,” said consultant Candi
Jeronimo. “They were very professional and on top of things, and they
understood what we needed.”
Says Elisa, “People are really
excited by cirque. It’s really
enchanting, especially with the
makeup and the costumes.”
—Susan O’Neill

FASHION-FORWARD FOOD
Creative director Craig Gruzd and the team at Designing
Trendz have joined forces with Domenic Chiaromonte (longtime executive chef at Match Restaurant)
CATE R I NG to launch Catering Trendz (416.665.6794,
cateringtrendz.com), a full-service catering company with
a focus on fashionCatering Trendz’s
forward contemporary
hamburger
Canadian cuisine.
cupcakes
Desserts include items
like candy sushi made
with Rice Krispies and
cupcakes designed
to look like mini
hamburgers. —S.O.

From an early age, sisters Julie,
Samantha, and Elisa DeAngelis had
a ﬂair for dance—and an interest in
circus arts, thanks to a birthday party
they attended as youngsters. “We
were all competitive dancers as kids,”
says Elisa. “When our neighbour had
a circus party, we asked our parents if
we could start taking circus lessons.”
So they did. The three studied
at the Etobicoke School of the Arts
during their high school years. Upon
graduation, Elisa moved to Montreal
to enrol in École Nationale de Cirque
(and worked with Cirque du Soleil).
Both Julie and Samantha trained
with various Canadian and American
circus companies and became certiﬁed dance instructors under Dance
Masters of America, an international
organization of dance educators.
In October 2008, the sisters
launched an aerial-dance cirque
company called A2D2 (416.255.4140,
a2d2.ca), which stands for Aerial
Artists and Dance Divas but is
more commonly referred to as
“A-squared D-squared.” In addition to performing, the sisters also
design and produce routines for
events. “The company [grew] from

Idea File

The MTV Movie Awards in June
had a dynamic set with layered
projection screens designed by
Consortium Studios and lit by
Triphoton City.

PROGRESSIVE
STAGES
Here’s a look at innovative designs from
concerts, fashion shows, and other events.
By LISA CERICOLA

For a June fund-raiser beneﬁting
Design Industries Foundation Fighting
AIDS, Chicago’s Kehoe Designs created
a platform with a giant, illuminated
wall that framed a video screen.

20 bizbash.com winter 2010–2011

At Marc Jacobs’s spring 2011
show, a lamp-shade-shaped
bronze structure acted as
the entrance to the catwalk.

For the Council of Fashion Designers of
America’s annual awards in June, scenic
designer Scott Pask made a backdrop shaped
like Richard Serra’s sculpture “Torqued Ellipse
IV.” Producers projected video onto a central
cylinder and two wing walls.

For this summer’s National Scout Jamboree in Virginia,
celebrating the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th anniversary,
CorporateMagic Inc. created a 395-foot-long stage with
three massive LED screens and eight ﬂaming cauldrons.

What are clever ways
to integrate trade
show sponsors?
From making unexpected use of
celebrity spokespeople to employing superhero statues, here are a few
clever ways to increase sponsor visibility at trade shows.
At America’s Beauty Show in
Chicago, producers ensure that sponsors’ presence extends beyond the
show ﬂoor. “We work with major exhibitors to offer an overall program
to incorporate within their trade
show strategy,” says Paul Dykstra,
C.E.O. of Cosmetologists Chicago
and America’s Beauty Show. Besides
their booths, sponsoring manufacturers who exhibit are invited to
brand key cards for hotels
associated with the event.
Sponsors can place products such
as shampoos, conditioners, and face
washes in attendees’ rooms at these
properties.
Sponsors are also invited to host
press lounges that surround the
show ﬂoor, where they can speak
directly to beauty editors who come

to the show. Key exhibitors are also
able to sponsor so-called V.I.P. “closing lounges,” or meeting rooms off
the ﬂoor. In the rooms, companies
can serve snacks or cocktails, show
videos, and brand the space with
decor of their choosing. Some companies have also opted to provide
services, such as manicures or hairstyling, within the rooms.
In August, the BlogHer conference drew about 2,500 bloggers
to the Hilton New York, where the
three-day event had a traditional
trade show setup. “We really tried to
ﬁnd creative ways to integrate our
sponsors, so they weren’t
just a booth on the ﬂoor,”
says San Francisco-based director of
events Lori Luna.
In addition to branding prominent signage, some BlogHer sponsors used celebrities to engage the
crowd, both on and off the ﬂoor.
Sara Lee called on Top Chef star
Padma Lakshmi to judge a sandwich-

At the BlogHer
conference,
celebrities like
Padma Lakshmi
participated in
events.
making contest. Tropicana hosted a
breakfast and enlisted spokesperson Bruce Jenner—former Olympic
athlete and currently on Keeping
Up With the Kardashians—to pour
its newest ﬂavours at a juice bar.
“When they saw the reality TV stars,
people went nuts, especially on Twitter,” says Luna. “We knew we’d get
attention on blogs, but we also had
100,000 mentions on Twitter on the
ﬁrst day alone.”
As director of strategic accounts
at Reed Exhibitions, Lawrence Settembrini works with the sponsors
of New York Comic Con, which
takes place at the Jacob K. Javits
Center. “It’s a fairly young show in a
large building, and we initially had

concerns about fans ﬁnding their
way through the [venue],” says Settembrini. “Our solution was to sell
a sponsorship to a company that
builds scale statues of superheroes.”
Producers placed the statues
at key locations throughout the
building, and referred to them in
directions. “For example, we provide
instructions to our conference
and panel areas as such: ‘Head to
the Superman statue in the north
concourse, then take the escalators
down to the ﬁrst ﬂoor,’” says Settembrini. “It’s a pretty simple concept
that resulted in sponsorship revenue,
helped our attendees navigate the
building, and provided a photo opportunity.” —Jenny Berg

A New Way to Fill Seats
CharityHappenings (charityhappenings.org), an online calendar
of fund-raisers, now allows nonproﬁts to promote events and
sell tickets. Planners create a customized ticketTIC K E TI NG
ing Web page with details about the event, plus
other information such as auction items or the organization’s
mission. While the service itself is free, CharityHappenings
charges 99 cents plus a 3
percent fee per attendee
(up to $7.49) at the point
of sale. For the time
being, tickets can be
purchased in American
dollars, but the company says a Canadian
version is coming
soon. —Lisa Cericola

ON BIZBASH.COM
More new products and services

A SPARKLING BAR
New from rental company FWR Rental Haus (877.637.3744, fwrental.com), the
paillette bar adds a shiny touch to events. The piece, which comes in aqua and
silver, can be conﬁgured as a 12- by 10-foot four-sided rectangular
R E NTA L
bar, or a 12- or 8-foot single-sided bar. For an additional charge,
the paillettes can be used to spell out the name of a company or event. The
bar is available nationwide, and pricing starts at $750 U.S. —L.C.

bizbash.com winter 2010–2011 21

Forecast
Ideas, products, and just plain
cool stuff to have on your radar.
By LISA CERICOLA

1.

2.

Ideal for events
without bartenders,
Vino Solo combines
a 187-milliliter bottle of
wine with a plastic drinking ﬂute. It’s
available through Philadelphia-based
KDM Global Partners (215.509.7500,
kdmglobalpartners.com). Custom labels
can be made with a company’s logo.

The AppLounge at the 2010 London Design Festival featured a
curated selection of ebooks, MP3s, and online services. The sleek
pop-up is a stylish example of how to showcase digital products.

4.

5.

Available
November 16, the
Food Network South
Beach Wine & Food
Festival Cookbook
from Clarkson
Potter commemorates 10 years
of the festival
with chef interviews, recipes, and other
behind-the-scenes tidbits from director
Lee Brian Schrager.

6.

Running
from November 17
to May 15, 2011, at
New York’s Museum
of Arts and Design
(212.299.7777, mad
museum.org), the
“Global Africa
Project” is an extensive exhibit of
contemporary African art, design,
and craft, as well
as an exploration
of the socioeconomic impact of
art-making in local
communities.

The long-gestating
Broadway show SpiderMan: Turn Off the Dark
(spidermanonbroadway.
marvel.com), directed by
Julie Taymor—known for
her groundbreaking spectacles—with music by
Bono and the Edge from
U2, debuts November 14
at Foxwoods Theatre in
New York.

11.
On My Radar
“The chic fashion
line Leroy and
Perry (leroyand
perry.com) has
delighted me in
spades with its
inventive reuse of soda cans this
fall. The ﬁne sprays of sequins
that give a little sparkle to a new
line of shift dresses are, in fact,
fashioned from recycled pop
cans. Super cool, right?”
David Stark, president and
creative director, David Stark
Design and Production, New York

Ideal for meetings and presentations, the
Ediﬁer Soundbar USB ($49.99 U.S., available at store.
apple.com in December) is a 10-inch speaker that connects
to a laptop through a USB port and emits stereo-quality sound.

Following a $30 million renovation and restoration project, the Sony
Centre for the Performing Arts reopened on October 1—50 years to the
date from the building’s ﬁrst opening night. The venue has a refurbished 3,000-seat proscenium theatre and several multifunction spaces
for events and corporate meetings, including a reconﬁgured lobby and a
new balcony bar. Five private lounges can each accommodate groups of
as many as 24 for meetings, and the lower lobby lounge and main lobby
can each hold as many as 250. (1 Front St. East, 416.393.7466)

Venues

By SUSAN O’NEILL

Downtown Deals
Next to Maple Leaf Gardens,
the Holiday Inn Toronto
Downtown Centre is set to
open in February following
an $18 million renovation. The
property, which formerly operated as the Days Inn Carlton,
has 514 rooms and more than
9,000 square feet of meeting space spread over nine
function rooms, the largest of
which holds as many as 130.
Meeting spaces, including
three dedicated boardrooms,
are equipped with ergonomic
seating, audiovisual equipment, and Wi-Fi. The hotel
also has a spa, a coffee shop,
and two options for dining:
the Carlton Restaurant, which
serves bistro-style cuisine, and
Thirty Bar & Lounge. (30 Carlton St., 416.977.6655)

Relaxing Retreats
Nestled in a secluded setting on Bayview Avenue, the newly renovated
Estates of Sunnybrook offer a choice of meeting and breakout rooms in
three separate buildings—the coach house, McLean House, and Vaughan
Estate. The property has a total of 17 meeting rooms and can accommodate
groups of as small as six or as many as 150. Meeting spaces have natural
lighting and are furnished in a residential style. Some rooms have private
patios. Audiovisual equipment is available, and wireless Internet access is
complimentary. Free parking is available on site. Venue partner Summit
Training & Development also offers a range of teambuilding programs on
the grounds. (2075 Bayview Ave., 416.487.3841)

Pre-Game Workshops
Hôtel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square, Groupe
Germain’s second Toronto property, opened in
November just steps from the Air Canada Centre.
The 167-room hotel has 4,600 square feet of
sports-themed meeting and event space that can
accommodate groups of 15 to 125. The Defensive
and Offensive Zones hold as many as 60 and are
equipped with retractable screens and projectors.
The Neutral Zone, which holds 15, has an LCD TV;
the Penalty Box, suitable for groups of as many as
40, offers views overlooking the main entrance to
the ACC; and the 1,020-square-foot Hall of Fame
holds as many as 125 and has portable acoustic
panels. Suites and apartments, which hold as
many as 20, are also available. (75 Bremner Blvd.,
416.649.7575)

While you may see it as one of Toronto’s top attractions, you may not know that the
CN Tower is also one of the city’s most unique corporate venues. With state-of-the-art
meeting rooms, inspired hospitality services and unsurpassed views, it’s easy to see why.
If you haven’t considered the CN Tower for your next event, it’s time to take a closer look.

See all that you’ve been missing at
cntower.ca/lookcloser or call 416-601-4718.

THIS
IS
AN
AD
FOR
POP.
WE DIDN’T INTEND TO INSULT YOUR INTELLIGENCE.

YOU PROBABLY MANAGED TO FIGURE OUT THAT THIS
INDEED IS AN AD, AND THAT IT’S ALSO AN AD FOR SOMETHING
CALLED POP. WHAT YOU PROBABLY WEREN’T ABLE TO SURMISE
WAS, WHAT POP IS. HERE’S A HINT; IT HAS NOTHING
TO DO WITH CARBONATED BEVERAGES OR KATY PERRY.
IT DOES HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH KEN KRISTOFFERSEN, CSEP,
INTERNATIONAL, AWARD-WINNING, EVENT PROFESSIONAL.
AND YES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THERE IT IS,
THE WORD THAT SHOULD PUT IT ALL TOGETHER FOR YOU – EVENT.
POP IS AN EVENT COMPANY, BUT AN EVENT COMPANY
THAT’LL MAKE YOUR CORPORATE EVENT FEEL ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING LIKE A CORPORATE EVENT, UNLESS THAT’S WHAT
YOU’RE GOING FOR, IN WHICH CASE YOUR CORPORATE EVENT
CAN FEEL VERY CORPORATE. ALTHOUGH WE DON’T RECOMMEND IT.

Art After Dark
At the ﬁfth annual Scotiabank Nuit
Blanche, Philip Beesley hung layers
of cables with microprocessordriven lights in the atrium at the
Royal Conservatory of Music for an
installation called “Aurora.” More
about the event is on page 36.

27

Opening Night Gala
Inspired by the opening night ﬁlm, Score: A Hockey
Musical, event producer Barbara Hershenhorn of
Party Barbara Co. worked with McWood Studios
and National Sign to design a dance ﬂoor that
replicated an ice rink for the 3,000-guest opening
night gala at the Liberty Grand.

The ice table,
designed by
Iceculture, took 80
hours to create and
20 man hours to
set up on site in the
Governor’s Room at
the Liberty Grand.

Party Circuit
By SUSAN O’NEILL

Up-and-coming Canadian
designer Breeyn McCarney
used ﬂorals to pay tribute
to festival sponsor PerrierJouët by creating a living
dress inspired by the brand’s
Belle Epoque bottle.

Absolut Vodka created a pop-up party—dubbed
Absolut St. Art—on the rooftop of a downtown
parking garage. The event transformed the space
into a large-scale art exhibit and concert hall.

Absolut Party

As many as 600 people attended the event, planned by VisionCo.
and inspired by the slogan “In an Absolut World Doing Things
Differently Leads to Something Exceptional.”
One installation included a display
of Absolut bottles bearing the
phrase “I wouldn’t make this up.”

28 bizbash.com winter 2010–11

An installation from visual artist
Beside Herself included a series
of stacked boxes with the phrase
“Make it one last time forever.”

In addition to showcasing more than 300 ﬁlms, the
35th Toronto International Film Festival—which ran
from September 9 to 19—featured a host of ofﬁcial (and unofﬁcial)
parties hosted by magazines like In Style and Hello! Canada,
charitable organizations like Amfar, and brands like Absolut Vodka.

TORONTO

Hello! Canada Party
Hello! Canada moved its annual TIFF
party, held at the Birks store on Bloor
Street for the past two years, to the
Royal Conservatory of Music. The event
adopted a “Hello! Hollywood” theme
this year, with red and black decor—a
nod to the magazine’s branding.

Amfar Party

The Carlu played host to the second
annual Cinema Against AIDS Toronto
event, held in support of Amfar and
Dignitas International. The event drew
a sold-out crowd, with more than 500
guests attending, up from 380 in 2009.

Ace of Base and the Thompson Egbo-Egbo Trio performed at the
event. The gala, co-chaired by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez,
raised more than $1 million for Amfar and Dignitas International.

In Style Party

In Style and the Hollywood Foreign Press
Association hosted their 11th annual TIFF party
at the Windsor Arms Hotel on September 14.

PHOTOS: GEORGE PIMENTEL (AMFAR, IN STYLE), BIZBASH (HELLO! CANADA)

Organizers
used Douglas
ﬁr trees and
manzanita
branches to
dress the
Courtyard Café.

A collage of
images of
Hollywood
stars like
Audrey
Hepburn,
Julia Roberts,
and Shirley
MacLaine
topped
cocktail tables
throughout
the party.

bizbash.com winter 2010–11 29

Fashion Frenzy
For Fashion Television’s 25th anniversary, images of models and retro
fashions ﬁlled the CTV headquarters.
To celebrate 25 years of Fashion
Television and launch a commemorative magazine chronicling deﬁning moments
of the series created by Jay Levine and hosted by
Jeanne Beker, CTV invited 900 guests to a cocktail
party at the network’s downtown headquarters
at Queen and John Streets on September 7. Mafalda Caruso, CTV’s executive director of special
events, planned the anniversary bash, held in a
space that’s normally used as an ofﬁce.
“Anybody that’s had anything to do with
Fashion Television in the past 25 years was invited,” said Caruso, who called on Rob Dittmer of
Three Event Planning & Design to turn the ofﬁce
into a party space and showcase black-and-white
images of supermodels like Linda Evangelista and
Guests entered the second ﬂoor event space through a
Christy Turlington—all pulled from the pages
hallway that included an installation resembling the set
of the magazine’s commemorative issue. Unit 11
of a fashion shoot.
Custom Staging created a black runway (bearing
the FT logo) for a fashion presentation of vintage
looks from the past 25 years, selected by stylist
Cherie Federau of Shrimpton Couture.
After walking a black carpet on Queen Street,
guests entered the second ﬂoor through a hallway with a photo tribute to designers like John
Galliano and Karl Lagerfeld. Black-and-white
images of the designers, printed on sheer fabric
panels, accented a wall of white draping in the
hallway, which also included an all-white studio
set designed to look like a backdrop used in a
fashion shoot.
Inside the main space, servers from Core
A poster-size image of Canadian supermodel Coco
Event Staff passed hors d’oeuvres from Daniel et
Rocha hung at the entrance to the main party space.
Daniel Event Creation and Catering. A food station included herbed gnocchi in a tomato basil
sauce and duck conﬁt cupcakes topped with
Around 900 guests ﬁlled CTV’s
roasted beet mash icing and maple-bourbon
Queen Street West headquarters
demi-glace. Cocktails included the FT25 Royale,
for the anniversary party.
made with Mumm Napa Brut Prestige.
Caruso used black-and-white
Fashion Television’s
furnishings from Furnishings
25th Anniversary Party
by Corey to create seating areas
for guests, and hung an oversize
Audiovisual Production
Westbury National Show
makeup mirror—complete with
Systems
a red lip imprint from Canadian
Catering Daniel et Daniel
supermodel Coco Rocha—behind
Event Creation & Catering
the main bar. DJ Amalia Leandro
Decor Three Event Planning
& Design Inc.
spun tunes in a round booth posiFlowers Earthwork
tioned at the top of the runway.
Furniture Rentals
Rocha, pictured on the cover
Furnishings by Corey
of the commemorative issue, was
Models Elmer Olsen
Printing National Sign &
on the guest list but a scheduling
Design Group Inc.
conﬂict in New York prevented the
Rentals Exclusive Affair
supermodel from attending. An
Rentals Inc.
image of Rocha’s cover hung near
Security Primary Response
Inc.
the entrance to the main party
Stafﬁng Core Event Staff
space, and guests received copies
Staging Unit 11 Custom
of the magazine in the gift bags.
Staging Ltd.
—Susan O’Neill

Cherie Federau of Shrimpton
Couture styled models for
a runway presentation that
showcased fashions from
the past 25 years.

A curved DJ booth sat at
the head of a black-andwhite runway designed to
look like the FT logo.

come and see the armory,” explained
Rebecca Robertson, president of the
Park Avenue Armory.
To design the exhibition and
The Park Avenue Armory’s ﬁrst gala
the opening night gala, Robertbrought a 50-foot Ferris wheel indoors. son tapped event design company
Hickey Shields, which had the task
of not only creating a cohesive look
For years, the Park Avenue Armory
NEW YORK has been the site of large art exhi- for the 55,000-square-foot hall, but
bitions and fairs, galas and launch events, and even also arranging the components to
Fashion Week shows, but this December the Upper allow for a 532-guest dinner at the
preview event the night before.
East Side landmark will be home to the ﬁrst full
“Just working on that scale in
season of artistic programming from the nonproﬁt
For the dinner, tables replaced
that took over the venue from the state in 2006. As general is challenging, and we grew
rides at the foot of the
to call it the ‘drill hall effect.’ The
a prelude to this, the cultural organization (which
50-foot-tall Ferris wheel.
[Wade Thompson
is also called the Park Avenue Armory)
Drill Hall] has a very, very strange,
held its ﬁrst gala on October 7, and
Park Avenue Armory’s
almost illogical effect on scale,
collected $1.2 million to support the re“Carnival” Exhibition
where certain things look ﬁne
vitalization of the 130-year-old building Opening Night Gala
and other things look very, very
as a space for the arts.
Art Direction, Design,
small,” said Josh Hickey, co-owner
A four-day exhibition followed the
Fabrication Hickey Shields
Carnival Games Ace Tent &
of Hickey Shields. The gala gave
gala, paying homage to the original
Amusements
guests a chance to partake in
1879 fair held at the armory’s Wade
Catering Great
the rides and games before the
Thompson Drill Hall (held to raise
Performances
dinner, while stiltwalkers, confunds for the interior design of the
Draping Drape Kings
Event Management
tortionists, magicians, and other
venue). Dubbed “Carnival,” the event
MF Productions
circus acts from the Bindlestiff
included a 50-foot-tall Ferris wheel,
PR Resnicow Schroeder
Family Cirkus roamed the ﬂoor.
vintage midway rides and games, and
Associates
—Anna Sekula
performers from the Bindlestiff Family
Rentals Party Rental Ltd.
The gala’s guests
Technical Direction
Cirkus. “We’re all about doing fantastic
had no qualms
Raise
Plow
things in this space, so doing a carnival
Tenting Starr Tents
about winning
ON
BIZBASH.COM
in here seemed like a really great idea
Venue Park Avenue Armory
toys at the water
A video report from the gala
and a way to invite New Yorkers to
pistol range.

Caravents produced
the September 16
soiree on the Santa
Monica Pier, with
carnival lights,
supper club-style
lounges, and
gaming tables.

Triple Play
HBO staged three premieres for its new
drama Boardwalk Empire: On the West
Coast, the gathering for 350 was designed as a national sales
incentive for HBO’s internal digital network distribution team. The
New York fete entertained an industry crowd of 1,000, while the
Atlantic City affair was a consumer-targeted promotion for 500.

COAST TO COAST

Guests tried their luck at
casino games for a buyin of $500 in play money.

Grange said of the activations. Guests could dress
up in Guess by Marciano clothing for a photo
shoot, sample various coffee beverages at a Tassimo station, or try a glass of Yellow Tail Bubbles
Rosé at the Bubble Bar (where a model posed in a
The Boobyball adopted a disco
yellow bathtub ﬁlled with clear balloons).
theme with Studio 54 images
When it came to choosing a venue, Grange
and Warhol-inspired art.
said the decision came down to capacity. “We
had 1,200 guests. Trying to ﬁnd a space in Toronto
In a nod to Andy Warhol and Studio that holds that many people was a challenge,”
TORONTO 54, organizers of the ninth annual she said. The event has been held in raw spaces
Boobyball fund-raiser for Rethink Breast Cancer— (with no existing amenities like built-in bars) in
dubbed “Boobyball 9: Flash”—showcased iconic
the past, and the fact that the Kool Haus is an esimages from the ’70s alongside displays of Brillo
tablished venue was appealing, Grange said. “We
boxes and stacks of Campbell’s Soup tins at the
liked the idea that the space is completely open
Kool Haus on October 16. “Every year we try to
and you can do a lot with it,” Kerr said.
come up with a great theme that is a lot of fun
10tation Event Catering set up two food
and super creative,” said Ainsley Kerr, Rethink’s
stations, where guests could try mini sirloin burgevent specialist. “This year we went
ers served with root chips and
Boobyball 9: Flash
with the idea of Studio 54 and the
noodles stir fried with bok choy,
Audiovisual Production
artistic inﬂuence. We had ﬁve great
peppers, mushrooms, bean
Magen Boys
photographers in the city recreate
sprouts, snow peas, and fresh
Entertainment
iconic Studio 54 images [for the event Catering 10tation Event
ginger.
decor] and our auction.”
In an effort to attract a young
Catering
Kerr and Rethink’s event manager, Computer Terminals Endo
crowd, organizers priced tickets
Networks Inc.
Lindsay Grange, worked with event
at $80, with a limited number
Decor Ferreira Design
co-chairs Aliya-Jasmine Sovani (of
available for $40 (aimed at guests
Design, Invitations,
MTV), Natasha Penzo (of ASC PR),
between the ages of 19 to 25).
Signage, Web Site Design
Diablito Design Group
and Jacquelyn West (of Hermann &
“We wanted to gear it toward
DJ DJ Vaneska
Audrey) to plan the event. The team
everyone. We wanted our ticket
Furniture Rentals
called on Jennifer Ferreira of Ferreira
price to be accessible,” Kerr said,
Contemporary Furniture
Design to handle the decor.
noting that the event sold out in
Rentals Inc.
Lighting, Security INK
A V.I.P. lounge, ﬁlled with black
just over one week. Proceeds from
Linens Chair-man Mills
and gold furnishings from Contemthe beneﬁt supported Rethink’s
Printing, Signage Icon
porary Furniture Rentals, sat in the
Booby Innovation Grant (designed
Digital Productions Inc.
middle of the room, and a series
to assist young women diagnosed
Stafﬁng The Butler Did It
Venue Guvernment &
of activations from sponsors like
with the disease), as well as the
Kool Haus Entertainment
Mavea and Guess by Marciano lined
organization’s existing programComplex
the walls. “It keeps the party going,”
ming. —Susan O’Neill

Endo Networks set up computer
terminals in the lobby, where guests
obtained passes for a gift bag at the
end of the evening.
In a nod to Andy
Warhol, stacks
of faux boxes
of Brillo soap
pads ﬂanked the
stage.

Discovery Communications
and Hasbro launched a new
children’s network, known as the Hub, with a party
on October 10 that showcased the playfulness
and fun the channel promises to bring with its
A Transformers replica
programming. The interactive offerings began with
served as towering decor.
an entrance to the party space by way of a giant
slide. Discovery Communications vice president of
global events Jeff Kaplan oversaw the event from
Activities and entertainment included a
A ball pit made
the company’s headquarters in Maryland, where
Transformers photo opportunity, an interactive
for a colorful,
a team of about 10 serves as an in-house event
strawberry shortcake bar from caterer Global Cuiinteractive
agency for the group of networks. Connecticutsine by Gary Arabia, a ball pit, a caricature station,
spectacle.
based Blue Flame worked with Discovery Global
and a custom button-making station. Some of the
Events on the execution.
games from the Family Game Night programThe Hub’s partners and execuming appeared at the party on a
tives, plus celebrities and other invited Discovery
giant scale, including a huge ConCommunications and
guests of all ages—about 550 people
nect 4 board and a version of OperHasbro’s Hub Launch
in all—showed up at the Lot. “We did
ation that allowed guests to move
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE HUB

LOS ANGELES

it at the Lot because we wanted for
guests to really experience what the
Hub was,” said Kaplan, whose group
worked with the local, Burbank-based
Hub marketing and communications
department. “That was the genesis
of the slide. As you arrived, you were
invited to ﬁnd your inner kid.”

game pieces with giant tongs. A
Hub passport allowed guests to
collect stickers at various stations
and redeem them for a prize.
Large HD video projections
showed a sizzle reel looping network footage on the inside and
outside walls. —Alesandra Dubin

British artist
Ryan Gander
set up a wood
burning
campﬁre at
Yonge-Dundas
Square for an
exhibit called
“Just Because
You Can Feel It
Doesn’t Mean
It’s There.”

At the “Way-Station
(North Migration)”
performance art
exhibit, which
highlighted
the effects of
climate change,
participants visited
an impromptu
shrine honouring
members of a
nomadic tribe.

Night Lights
Nuit Blanche marked its ﬁfth anniversary, as Scotiabank announced multiyear funding for the all-night party.
Thousands of Torontonians took
to the streets on October 2 for the
ﬁfth annual Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, an allnight celebration of contemporary art presented
by the City of Toronto, which has announced a
further four-year funding commitment from
lead sponsor Scotiabank. “Toronto is never so
alive as it is during Scotiabank Nuit Blanche.
The event has transformed Toronto—in the way
we engage with contemporary art, with each
other, and with our city,” said Rita Davies, the
city’s executive director of culture. “With four
more years to look forward to, I can only imagine the continued magic that will unfold.”
The ﬁfth edition of the free event featured
more than 130 commissioned and independent exhibitions created by nearly 500 artists
and displayed in three zones across the city,
including a massive multimedia installation
designed by musician Daniel Lanois. Dubbed
“Later That Night at the Drive-In,” Lanois’s installation ﬁlled Nathan Phillips Square with live
music and original scored video projections.
Other highlights included Philip Beesley’s
“Aurora,” a light installation in the atrium at
the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Telus Centre
for Performance and Learning, and “Dune,” an
interactive new media installation designed by
Rotterdam-based artist Daan Roosegaarde and
set up in the Lower Bay Station.
Participants could take advantage of two
interactive tools, including the Night Navigator
iPhone/Blackberry app and My Night itinerary
(both of which debuted last year), to plan their
evening. Organizers also launched Share Your
Night, a new platform for streaming comments,
texts, tweets, and photos shared by eventgoers
on screens at Scotiabank information centres
throughout the night. —Susan O’Neill

TORONTO

Kim Adams of Toronto lit up a
rotating 1996 Dodge Ram van for an
installation called “Auto Lamp.”
Daan Roosegaarde’s
“Dune” transformed
the Lower Bay Station
with an interactive new
media exhibit meant
to investigate nature in
relation to urban space.

Sensors
within the
“Aurora”
installation
tracked
viewers
walking
through the
atrium at
the Royal
Conservancy
and created
a rippling
pattern
reﬂected in
the lighting.

36 bizbash.com july/august 2010

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF WASHINGTON TALENT, PHOTO AND VIDEO

Patriot Act

With temperatures reaching
into the 90s and
a tense political
Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally
atmosphere due to
drew more than 300,000 to the
Beck’s and guest
speaker Sarah PaLincoln Memorial.
lin’s political views,
health and security
Glenn Beck may wear his
WASHINGTON politics on his sleeve during his were the biggest
primetime talk show and his many other appear- concerns for planners. Although
ances, but on August 28 he put politics aside for
his Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial. security concerns
Purportedly designed to honour our armed forces never became a
factor and the
and celebrate American values, the event drew
The stage was set at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, which provided
more than 300,000 people from across the coun- speakers stayed
a picturesque background for the more than 300,000 attendees.
try. During its peak, the crowd stretched from the true to their nosteps of the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington politics mandate, the nine medical stations saw
Monument, ﬁlling the area around the Reﬂecting plenty of action from heat-related issues. In an attempt to control any widespread heat issues, the
Pool as well as adjacent ﬁelds.
producers handed out more than 75,000 bottles
To help oversee and plan the rally, Beck and
his team tapped CSI—Capitol Services’ senior op- of water and set up nine cooling stations to keep
erations manager Kelley Gillespie. A veteran plan- the crowd cool and hydrated.
Another challenge was ﬁnding
ner with several large-scale events on
a way to keep the massive crowd
the Mall under her belt, the Restoring Restoring Honor Rally
organized. Working with the NaHonor rally marked the largest event Catering Design Cuisine
Caterers
tional Park Service and Park Police,
she has produced. Gillespie and her
Event Management
organizers divided the area into
team of 30 planners worked for nearCSI—Capitol Services Inc.
eight safety zones. The space in
ly a year to plan the four-hour rally,
Production National Events
between the zones allowed for limL.L.C.
which required more than 40 pages
Rentals DC Rental
ited mobility and secured space for
of permits, a production crew of 150,
Tenting Capital Party
Glenn Beck offered the
each of the nine LED walls provided
a six-day setup, and the assistance of
Rentals
opening and closing remarks.
by Video Walltronics. —T.J. Walter
11 police and government agencies.

Eight models participated
in the fashion show.

At the centre of the Parkway,
a skirted platform held a
gazebo area with hanging
ﬂowers and candles, ivy,
copper pots, and a fountain.

Decor in the Clubway included yellow,
green, and orange glow spheres atop
fabric-skirted platforms. The colour scheme
nodded to the hues of the Subway logo.

Right On Band
performed
’70s hits in the
Clubway.

38 bizbash.com july/august 2010

producers called in the cheerleaders, break dancers, ballerinas, and—oh, yes—human pinwheels
and butterﬂies on roller blades.
Throughout the evening, activities and entertainment took place in all three pavilions. In the
The sandwich company’s postClubway, fake paparazzi snapped photos of guests
conference gala featured models, break and the ballerina and the break dancer went
dancers, and rollerskating butterﬂies.
head-to-head in a staged dance-off.
Runway fashion shows, called “Project
“Eat Fresh” is Subway’s well-known
Subway,” showcased models in garb made out
CHICAGO tagline. So when the sandwich com- of the company’s packaging materials. An M.C.
pany hosted a gala on the last night of its annual provided tongue-in-cheek commentary. “This next
convention in July, planners went for
creation,” he said, “uses all recycled
Subway’s “Celebrate
a “fresh buzz” vibe. Joel Whitten, the
material and is inspired by the
Subway” Convention
Connecticut-based meetings and
foot-long chicken breast sandwich,
event manager at Subway FranAudiovisual Production,
on wheat, with extra Southwest
Lighting, Sound InVNT
chise World Headquarters, tapped
sauce. Very spicy.”
Catering Chicago
destination management company
In the Parkway, mimes, jugRestaurant Partners
In the Loop-Chicago to produce the
glers, and a rollerskating butterﬂy
Decor Ivan Carlson &
happening, which drew some 3,500
Associates
circulated while a cellist played
DJ DJ Dave Alvarez
guests to the Skyline Ballroom at
classical music and three chalk
Entertainment Chicago
McCormick Place.
artists drew colourful patterns on a
Boyz Acrobatic Team,
How does one bring a fresh,
fake sidewalk. Meanwhile, outside
Collaboraction, Custom
energizing atmosphere to a convenComedy Capers, Right On
the Subway Stadium, cheerleaders
Band
tion center ballroom? In the Loop
chanted “Go subs, go.” Inside the
Event Management In the
built three thematic pavilions—the
sporty space, which was stocked
Loop-Chicago
Clubway, the Parkway, and Subway
with foosball tables and arcade
Game Rentals Amusement
Stadium—to evoke, respectively, an
Masters
games, acrobats and double-dutch
Photography Kardas
energetic dance party, a whimsical
jump ropers performed.
Photography
park, and a sports stadium. Then,
—Jenny Berg

Subway Series

PHOTOS: KARDAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Ten-foot-tall glowing pillars surrounded
the area known as the “Clubway.”

and white), the lighting, and the
gift bags, which included items
like a laser-pointer pen, an illuminated mouse, a book light, and a
self-charging ﬂashlight. “We felt
Sun Life launched its new mutual
it was a natural ﬁt for the launch
fund company with freworks and
party,” Campbell said of the
simultaneous events in ﬁve cities.
theme. “Visually it speaks, and it’s
got great legs.”
In a nod to the corporate taglines
Attendees in each city inTORONTO for Sun Life Financial’s new mutual cluded ﬁnancial advisors, plan
fund company—phrases like “Illuconsultants, senior
minating Your Path” and “Illuminat- Sun Life Global
employees, media,
Investments Launch
ing a Brighter Future”—the ﬁrm
and market analysts.
More than 300 guests, including senior
Audiovisual Production,
lit up the sky over ﬁve Canadian
“The idea was to
employees, market analysts, and ﬁnancial
Lighting, Production,
cities on October 13 with ﬁreworks
entertain guests and
advisors, attended the Toronto launch.
Staging Granite Point
displays (one of which took place on
punctuate it with
Productions Inc.
the roof of the Kool Haus) designed Catering Kindred Spirits
corporate messaging,” Campbell
Catering & Event
to mark the launch of the new
said of the event, which was hosted
Coordination
brand, Sun Life Global Investments.
by veteran sports broadcaster
Decor, Draping, Flowers,
Liz Campbell, Sun Life’s director
Dick Irvin. Entertainment included
Lighting, Linens Heartz
of marketing, called on Real Comperformances by singer Matt Dusk,
Event Creation
Design, Event
munications Inc. to plan simultawho took the stage at the Kool
Management, Invitations,
neous launch events in Halifax,
Haus; Pascale Lavoie (in Montreal);
Production, Signage Real
Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and
and Jay Sparrow (in Calgary).
Communications Inc.
Vancouver. The events drew a total
“We had ﬁve satellite broadcast
Entertainment Matt Dusk
Furniture Rentals
of 750 guests and culminated in
trucks, 4,000 separate explosions,
Contemporary Furniture
a one-hour simulcast showcasing
35 pyrotechnic experts, and 47 techRentals Inc.
musical performances and live foot- Printing Envelope Express,
nicians on the ground. We also had
age of the ﬁreworks from Halifax,
three teleconference bridges going
Resource Integrated Ltd.
Stafﬁng Exposure TNT
Montreal, and Toronto.
on, so all of our event staff could
In addition to the pyrotechnics, Venue Guvernment &
speak to one another,” said CampKool Haus Entertainment
organizers reﬂected the illuminabell. “It was a massive undertaking.”
Complex
tion theme in the decor (yellow
—Susan O’Neill

Size Matters
The DX Gala honoured Bruce Mau’s
“Big Thinking” with massive ice
crystals and oversize balloons.
For the Design Exchange’s seventh
annual Black & White gala, held
October 23 at the Bay Street venue, organizers
paid tribute to this year’s honouree—Bruce Mau,
chairman and founder of Bruce Mau Design—
with an evening inspired by his career, including
works like his “Massive Change” exhibit and his
“Incomplete Manifesto for Growth.”
“The whole theme was ‘big,’ based on Bruce
Mau and his success as a big thinker in the
world,” said Gillian Hoff, vice president of special
events at the Design Exchange. “Everything was
oversize, from the ice crystals [above the bar on
the trading ﬂoor] to the giant vases [in the reception space], to the catering and Daniel et Daniel’s
giant scallop shells.”
To set the stage for the V.I.P. dinner, which
drew 220 guests and took place in the venue’s
exhibit hall, Hoff created decor elements that
played off the theme of experimentation. “I was
inspired by a line from his Web site that says Mau
continues to pursue life’s big question, ‘Now that
we can do anything, what will we do?’” said Hoff.
Hoff displayed large vinyl cutouts of words
from Mau’s “Incomplete Manifesto” on the walls
and worked with students from the event design
and management program at Seneca College to
create four-foot square frames to hang candles
and ﬂowers above the dining tables.
An additional 800 guests attended the main
party, held on the venue’s main level and trading ﬂoor. For the reception area, Hoff created a
Moroccan lounge with metal cocktail tables from
Furnishings by Corey, Moroccan-style cushions,
belly dancers, and live snakes. “The idea was to
use diverse cultural ideas and face your fears by
using snake charmThe Design Exchange’s
ers,” Hoff said.
Black & White Gala
In addition to a
Audiovisual Production,
massive ice chanLighting, Sound, Staging
delier, Iceculture
CCR Solutions
installed four ice
Catering Daniel et Daniel
crystals, supported
Event Creation & Catering,
Eatertainment Special
by wood frames
Events & Catering, En
built into the white
Ville Event Design and
Plexiglas bar, to top
Catering, Marigolds &
each corner of the
Onions, Presidential
Gourmet Fine Catering,
bar. CCR Solutions
10tation Event Catering
lit each of the sculpEntertainment DLM Dance
tures from above
& Entertainment
with yellow and
Flowers Forget Me Not
Flowers
purple beams to creFurniture Rentals
ate a prism effect.
Furnishings by Corey
Event sponsors
Ice Sculpture Iceculture Inc.
included TD Bank
Live Animals Reptilia
Props Balloon Trix
Financial Group,
Rentals Exclusive Affair
Toronto Life, and
Rentals Inc.
NUVO.
Venue Design Exchange
—Susan O’Neill

More than 800
guests ﬁlled the
trading ﬂoor.

Performers
posed on
platforms
adorned with
the word
“spectacle”
(inspired by
Mau’s book S,
M, L, XL) in the
gift bag room.

Dancers performed during
a set by fusion jazz band
the Kandinsky Effect.

Iceculture designed a sevenpiece chandelier for the
centre of the main bar.

Organizers
projected the
faces of big
thinkers on to
the surface of 14
oversize white
balloons hung
on either side
of the trading
ﬂoor.

40 bizbash.com winter 2010–11

PHOTOS: CHANDELIER(BIZBASH) GEORGE PIMENTEL (ALL OTHERS)

TORONTO

Equinox Fitness Club conducted
morning yoga sessions on the
beach behind the hotel.

Red, the
Steakhouse
and Gotham
Steak chefs
participated
in a barbecue
competition
on Saturday
afternoon.

and dinner party in a hotel ballroom—moved
from the back lawn when torrential rains and
ﬂooding that afternoon forced the party inside—
with the hotel’s restaurants Scarpetta, Hakkasan,
Gotham Steak, and Solo providing food stations
Thrillist staged a branded hotel in Miami for dinner and dessert. Singer Angela Laino and
Beach with three days of parties.
band Suénalo performed during the cocktail reception and dinner, respectively.
Thrillist is no stranger to trip giveaways.
Saturday’s planned activities kicked off early
MIAMI In October the email newsletter staged with morning yoga on the beach led by Equinox
its Jet Mystery event, which ﬂew 158 guests on
Fitness Club instructors and a light breakfast at
JetBlue to a surprise location, Jamaica, for three
poolside eatery La Cote. Presenting sponsors Bacdays of activities. In an effort to create a more
ardi and Corona supplied poolside liquid libations
grounded presence in one of its 16 markets, the
throughout the day.
New York-based company created the inaugural
Other afternoon activities included musicHotel Thrillist in Miami Beach June 4 to 6.
spinning lessons from Scratch DJ Academy, ca“Thrillist recommends the best
poeira lessons from Miami Capoeira
restaurants and nightclubs [in
Project, tours and animal encounHotel Thrillist
Miami], and our mission [with this
ters at Jungle Island exotic zoo, and
Catering, Rentals, Venue
initiative] was to showcase just
mini massages from Equinox. DJ
Fontainebleau Hotel
that to a national audience,” said
Elle spun for the majority of the day,
Catering, Venue Red, the
Steakhouse
the company’s event manager, Ben
and R&B singer Kat Deluna gave a
Hindman. “We wanted people to be Catering Gotham Steak,
special 30-minute concert complete
Hakkasan, Scarpetta, Solo
able to experience the brand as a
with dancers on the pool deck.
at the Fontainebleau
local entity and not just an email.”
That night Thrillist transported
Costumes, DJ,
Entertainment, Makeup,
Thrillist ran national and local
everyone to the South of Fifth
Stafﬁng Overthrow
online sweepstakes for readers to
neighborhood for a dinner party at
DJs DJ Elle, Scratch DJ
win a hotel room at the FontaineRed’s rooftop event space. DJ Señor
Academy
bleau, which Thrillist rebranded
Stereo from event company OverEntertainment, Venue
Jungle Island
with signage and designated activithrow, ﬁre dancers, and the Miami
ty areas, and access to its sponsored Entertainment Miami
Heat dancers entertained throughCapoeira Project, Suénalo,
events. About 200 people from
out the night.
The Gurkha Cigars
around the country, plus 100 locals
The company held a farewell
Sound Southern Audio
Visual
and national media, attended.
breakfast at Gotham Steak on
Transportation Coastal Car
The festivities began on Friday
Sunday morning before attendees
Worldwide
night with a welcome reception
checked out. —D. Channing Muller

The evening began with a V.I.P. dinner for 136
guests in the venue’s Henry N.R. Jackman Lounge,
followed by a party at 9 p.m. About 1,100 guests
attended in all. Broken Social Scene took the
stage at 10:30 p.m. for a mash-up performance
The Canadian Opera Company’s
with company ensemble stars Wallis Giunta and
beneﬁt chaneled Cinderella with
Ambur Braid. Additional entertainment included
a carriage and pumpkins.
three drag queens who mingled with guests
while playing the parts of Cinderella’s stepmother
The Canadian Opera Company paid and stepsisters.
TORONTO tribute to Cinderella and Rossini’s La
To further play up the theme, event organizers
Cenerentola with silver pumpkins, chocolate mice, placed a white carriage outside the entrance to
and Glass Slipper cocktails at the Operanation
the venue and dressed bars and catering stations
beneﬁt on October 29 at the Four Seasons Centre with silver-painted pumpkins and sparkling stiletfor the Performing Arts. “We always theme the
to heels. Davids provided a collection of designer
event around one of the season’s operas, and this shoes, from the likes of Kate Spade and Christian
theme is so much fun to play with,” said special
Louboutin, for a display in the main lobby.
events manager Tracy Briggs. (The company presCatering provided by Rose Reisman Catering
ents La Cenerentola from April 23 to May 25.)
also had a fairy-tale feel, with a Baron of Beef staBriggs, who planned the event in conjunction tion in the main lobby, a cheese and chocolate stawith an executive committee co-chaired by Fayaz tion on the second ﬂoor, and a dessert station—
Dossa and Claire Kennedy, explained
with mini pumpkin cheesecake
that organizers called the evening
lollipops—on the third ﬂoor.
Canadian Opera
“Operanation VII, Cinderella: Rock
Guests could visit Murale
Company’s
the Ball” to bring an indie-rock elemakeup stations for touch-ups
Operanation Beneﬁt
ment to the familiar story. “We had
throughout the evening, and brand
Catering Rose Reisman
a great lineup in terms of our enambassadors from Calvin Klein ofCatering
Flowers Forget Me Not
tertainment. Clara Venice acted as
fered hand massages and samples
Flowers
the Cinderella of the evening,” said
of the new fragrance, Beauty, at
PR Best PR Boutique
Briggs, who scheduled that perfortwo displays. Attendees could also
Printing C.J. Graphics Inc.
mance—described as a combination
pose for photos at a photo booth
Printers and Lithographers
Rentals Chair-man Mills
of electro-pop-meets-cabaret—for
sponsored by Hello! Canada. An afStafﬁng The Butler Did It
midnight. “Instead of turning into a
ter-party took place on the rooftop
Venue Four Seasons Centre
pumpkin, we are going to ‘rock the
of the Thompson Toronto following
for the Performing Arts
ball.’”
the event. —Susan O’Neill

Pumpkin Bash

PHOTOS: EMMA MCINTYRE FOR BIZBASH

To play up the Cinderella theme, organizers
placed a white carriage outside the entrance.